Medical garment

ABSTRACT

A medical garment for a patient includes a front garment panel having a front garment fastener assembly and a rear garment panel operatively associated with the front garment panel. The rear garment panel has a rear garment fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly so as to secure the front garment panel to the rear garment panel. The medical garment further includes a bag adapted to hold medical equipment attached to the patient. The bag includes a first bag fastener assembly and a second bag fastener assembly. The first bag fastener assembly is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly and the second bag fastener assembly is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the rear garment fastener assembly to secure the bag between the front garment panel and the rear garment panel.

FIELD

The invention concerns a medical garment, particularly but not exclusively, a medical garment to be worn by a patient committed to a hospital.

BACKGROUND

Gowns worn by patients committed to a hospital are required to permit easy access to the body of a patient to allow treatment or inspection. Such gowns are generally produced from fabric that can withstand repeated laundering in hot water to remove medical stains and disinfect the fabric.

One type of hospital gown is the well-known “johnny gown”. A johnny gown comprises a long piece of fabric having a solid front panel with a single opening at the rear which is closed by strings or snap fasteners. The solid front section has the drawback that it restricts medical access to the front of a patient, particularly the chest region. Where a young child is being treated a medical garment tends to require more frequent replacement than is the case with an adult. This can be particularly cumbersome where a child has one or more intravenous lines secured to, for example his / her arm. Intravenous lines, commonly referred to as IV lines, are used to deliver different types of fluids, medications and blood products to a patient. An IV line comprises a thin, flexible tube which a medical provider will insert into a vein in the hand, arm, foot or leg of a patient.

Where an IV line is attached to the arm of a child it can cause severe discomfort to the child when the IV line is first to be removed, a soiled gown removed and replaced with a fresh gown whereafter the IV line is again to be inserted. Such discomfort may be experienced several times a day by a young patient when it is required to replace a soiled garment.

Another problem encountered when children have IV lines or other medical devices attached to their body is that such devices may be dragged along the floor when the child moves about. Dragging medical devices or IV lines along a floor surface may increase the risk of contamination, falls and damage to medical devices.

OBJECT

It is an object of the present invention to provide a medical garment which is suitable for use by young patients and which addresses or ameliorates the above problems or at least provides a useful alternative.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed herein a medical garment to be worn by a patient including, the garment including:

a front garment panel having a front garment fastener assembly;

a rear garment panel operatively associated with the front garment panel, the rear garment panel having a rear garment fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly so as to secure the front garment panel to the rear garment panel, and

a bag adapted to hold medical equipment attached to the patient, the bag including a first bag fastener assembly and a second bag fastener assembly, the first bag fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly and the second bag fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the rear garment fastener assembly so as to secure the bag between the front garment panel and the rear garment panel.

Preferably the front garment fastener assembly includes snap fasteners which are operatively adapted for snap engagement with corresponding snap fasteners of the rear garment fastener assembly.

Preferably the first and second bag fastener assembly include snap fasteners which are operatively adapted for snap engagement with corresponding snap fasteners of the front and rear garment fastener assembly.

Preferably the bag is adapted to be secured at different positions relative to the front and rear garment fastener assembly.

Preferably the bag includes two pockets.

Preferably the pockets are formed by a line of stitching in the bag.

According to a second aspect there is disclosed a bag adapted (i) to hold medical equipment attached to a patient, and (ii) to be attached to a medical garment having a front garment panel and a rear garment panel, the bag including a first bag fastener assembly and a second bag fastener assembly, wherein the first bag fastener assembly is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to a front garment fastener assembly of the front garment panel and the second bag fastener assembly is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to a rear garment fastener assembly of the rear garment so as to secure the bag between the front garment panel and the rear garment panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompany drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of an embodiment medical garment with a front garment panel lifted to reveal a bag of the medical garment; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the embodiment medical garment with the front garment panel lifted to reveal the bag of the medical garment.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment medical garment to be worn by a patient, generally indicated with the reference numeral 10. In this embodiment the medical garment 10 is particularly suited to be worn by a young child. The medical garment 10 includes a fabric front garment panel 12 having a front garment fastener assembly 14. The medical garment 10 further includes a fabric rear garment panel 16 operatively associated with the front garment panel 12. The rear garment panel 16 includes a rear garment fastener assembly 18 operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly 14 so as to secure the front garment panel 12 to the rear garment panel 16.

The medical garment 10 further includes a bag 20 adapted to hold medical equipment attached to the patient. The bag 20 includes a first bag fastener assembly 22 and a second bag fastener assembly 24. The first bag fastener assembly 22 is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly 14. The second bag fastener assembly 24, in turn, is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the rear garment fastener assembly 18 so as to secure the bag 20 between the front garment panel 12 and the rear garment panel 16.

By having the front garment panel 12 detachably attached to the rear garment panel 16, medical personal are able to detach the front and rear garment panels 12, 16 with relative ease in order to gain access to the body of the patient to facilitate inspection or treatment. Further, providing that the front garment panel 12 and the rear garment panel 16 are detachably attached provides for relative ease or replacement of a soiled medical garment without the need, for example, of removing intravenous lines and the associated discomfort to the patient.

In use the bag 20 will serve to hold and support medical equipment secured to the body of the patient. Such medical equipment may include a central line (a type of catheter placed in a large vein which allows multiple IV fluids to be given and blood to be drawn), peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines; diabetes monitors, stoma bags and gastric catheters. Such devices will generally simply hang from the body of the patient. In the case of a child patient the lines may be dragged along the floor with the consequential risk of contamination, falls and damage. Providing the bag 20 facilitates storage of such devices. As the bag 20 is located behind the front garment panel 12 the bag 20 and its contents are hidden from sight. Further, by having the bag 20 being adapted for detachable attachment to the front and rear garment panels 12, 16 enables the position of the bag 20 to be adjusted depending on the nature of the medical equipment being supported so as best to accommodate such medical equipment.

The embodiment bag 20 includes two pockets 26, here formed by a vertical line of stitching 28 in the centre of the bag. Having two pockets 26 of even size serves to distribute the weight of medical equipment held within the bag 20 evenly along the length of the bag 20.

The front garment fastener assembly 14 includes snap fasteners 30, here female snap buttons, which are operatively adapted for snap engagement with corresponding snap fasteners 32, here male snap buttons, of the rear garment fastener assembly 18. The first bag fastener assembly 22 includes snap fasteners 34, here male snap buttons, operatively adapted so snap engage the female snap buttons 30 of the front garment fastener assembly 14. The second bag fastener assembly 24 includes snap fasteners 36, here female snap buttons, operatively adapted to snap engage the male snap buttons 32 of the rear garment fastener assembly 18. In effect the bag 20 is sandwiched between the front and rear garment panels 12, 16.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

KEY TO REFERENCE NUMERALS IN THE DRAWINGS 10 Medical garment 12 Front garment panel 14 Front garment fastener assembly 16 Rear garment panel 18 Rear garment fastner assembly 20 Bag 22 First bag fastener assembly 24 Second bag fastener assembly 26 Pockets 28 Line of stitching 30 Snap fasteners 32 Snap fasteners 34 Snap fasteners 36 Snap fasteners 

1. A medical garment to be worn by a patient including: a front garment panel having a front garment fastener assembly; a rear garment panel operatively associated with the front garment panel, the rear garment panel having a rear garment fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly so as to secure the front garment panel to the rear garment panel, and a bag adapted to hold medical equipment attached to the patient, the bag including a first bag fastener assembly and a second bag fastener assembly, the first bag fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the front garment fastener assembly and the second bag fastener assembly operatively adapted for detachable attachment to the rear garment fastener assembly so as to secure the bag between the front garment panel and the rear garment panel.
 2. A medical garment according to claim 1, wherein the front garment fastener assembly includes snap fasteners which are operatively adapted for snap engagement with corresponding snap fasteners of the rear garment fastener assembly.
 3. A medical garment according to claim 2, wherein the first and second bag fastener assembly include snap fasteners which are operatively adapted for snap engagement with corresponding snap fasteners of the front and rear garment fastener assembly.
 4. A medical garment according to claim 1, wherein the bag is adapted to be secured at different positions relative to the front and rear garment fastener assembly.
 5. A medical garment according to claim 1, wherein the bag includes two pockets.
 6. A medical garment according to claim 1, wherein the pockets are formed by a line of stitching in the bag.
 7. A bag adapted (i) to hold medical equipment attached to a patient, and (ii) to be attached to a medical garment having a front garment panel and a rear garment panel, the bag including a first bag fastener assembly and a second bag fastener assembly, wherein the first bag fastener assembly is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to a front garment fastener assembly of the front garment panel and the second bag fastener assembly is operatively adapted for detachable attachment to a rear garment fastener assembly of the rear garment so as to secure the bag between the front garment panel and the rear garment panel. 